Transfer stamping machine



May 20, 1952 c. B. GALLAGHER TRANSFER STAMPING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 29, 1947 game whoa Charles B. allaykel @xy May 20, 1952 Filed Dec. 29, 1947 v 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 J ww v EN E am v gmmmw Charles B. Gallagher @vakewb May 20, 1952 c. B. GALLAGHER TRANSFER STAMPING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 29, 1947 g'wue wboq/ C'lzarles 5, Gallagher agent May 20, 1952 c. B. GALLAGHER TRANSFER STAMPING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet Filed Dec. 29, 1947 gker age/rub May 20, 1952 C. B. GALLAGHER TRANSFER STAMPING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 29, 1947 agile?- Charles B. Gall y 1952 c. B. GALLAGHER 2,597,145

TRANSFER STAMPING MACHINE Filed Dec. 29, 1947 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Z4 0 gnbewboa/ v A/ I 77- 6? \V/ fi 0 T ChgzrZes B. Gallagher Patented May 20, 1952 warren STATES raj'rENT OFFICE.

2,597,145 TRANSFER STAMPING-MACHINE chin B; "Gallagher, a-em, N. J. Application December 29, 1947; Serial No. 794,228

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in equipment for stamping upon articles of manufacture, and in particular to a machine. for,

hosiery or the quality of the material ..or. forv marking, as in the case of trade-marks or. trade style, on the finished product.

Production stamping equipment presently used in hosiery mills is limited in efliciency'and in the accuracy with which stamping is performed. Hand stamping with the use of a hot iron applied over a transfer sheet is used in many instances, but is a slow, inaccurate, and tedious endeavor. Semi-automaticstampingmachineshave been developed and are used to some extentin more progressive establishments as an. improve-.- ment over hand stamping equipment. However, these machines have limitations in theirfacilities for effecting high quality production,.par-

ticularly as regards accurate registration of they stamped impression.

With the foregoing explanation in mind, the.

principal objects of my invention are to provide a hosiery stamping press more adaptable to the scheme of production in modern hosiery mills than those which are in present use and to provide such a machine which will produce a. high quality of work at an efficient operating rate; I accomplish these objects, in part, by employing a circular, intermittently rotating stamping machine table or carrier for conveying-work from a loading position throughstamping positions to an unloading position and. for supporting the transfer stamping impression. The hosiery work-l pieces are placed in registration between guides on the table at one station .and they are carried, as the table turns, under pivoting stamping-heads through a plurality of stamping positions, whereupon they are removed for further processing; or

heads, the web being advanced automatically in timed relationship with the stamping cycle, and novel features are incorporatedin the web feeding devices to ensure highly accurate registration of the transfer paper with'respec't to the worka 2 piece. In this manner, every printed impression transferred ;from the web will be accurately located-on the hosiery. Multiple stamping heads areprovidedso that separate marking maybe madeonthe toe, heel or other parts of the hose atdesiredlocations;- v v The non-standard parts for the machine of myinventionmay be easily constructed using conventional machine tools and suitable adjustmentsareprovided so that the machine will accommodate'various styles; and sizes of hosiery quickly. andeasily and with little skill. Standard commercial heating irons for hand stamping are preferably employed with my machine for facility of replacement. While, in the embodiment ofthe invention 'illustratedherein, I show the stamping heads applied to an intermittently rotatingcarrier, it willube obvious that the principles of the machinemay be applied to machines havingother types of carriers as, for example, anHi n-line endless conveyor; also that other changes and substitutions may be made without departing from the inventionas described in the sub-joined claims. a

. The invention will be fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure. 1 is aside elevation view of astamping machine embodyingmy invention,

, Figure 2 is a top plan view of the machine of- Figure 1, v

Figure '3 is aside elevation view of an enlarged scale illustrating one side ofa stamping head used onmy machine,

- Figure 4' is a viewsimilar to that of Figure 3, showing the opposite side of a stamping head,-

Figure 4a is a fragmentary side elevation view inreduced scale-illustrating a stamping head in tiltedposition,

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the stamping h'eadof Figures 3 and-'1, v a V Figure 6; is a fragmentary side elevation view ofintermittent motion table driving devices,

Figure 7is an endelevation view taken in the direction of the arrowat 1, Figure 2, to illustrate: stamping head tilting mechanisms,

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic viewshowing elements of the drive for the transfer stamping material web together with electrical wiring therefor, and V I Figure 8A is a fragmentary view of an alternative, switching arrangement for, that of Fig ure 8, a I

Refejrring to Figures 1 and 2, I provide. a framework .HI having appropriate legs, horizontal members and cross-braces to supportan 3 intermittently rotatable circular table II situated thereabove. Table II is disposed substantially horizontally having a vertical supporting shaft [2 axially attached therewith which depends downwardly and is trumiioned in upper and lower bearings I3 and I4 respectively. Upper bearing 13 is fastened to an intermediate plate support l5 welded or otherwise joined to crossmembers of frame 10, and lower bearing I4 is supported on a horizontal sub-frame I6 integrally associated with main frame It. Bracketed roller thrust units 11 near the periphery of the table provide support under the edge of the table during rotation. On the upper surface of the table, see Figure 2, adjacent the periphery are a series of pairs of spaced guides 20 which conform generally with the proportions and the shape of the usual articles of hosiery. Guides 20 are open at each end to accommodate hosiery of different sizes with the toe directed toward the edge of the table and the leg directed inwardly.

Six identical stamping heads 22 are used in this preferred embodiment of my invention for marking hosiery processed threwith, the heads being arranged'in groups of three left hand and three right hand head units which are supported on the auxiliary supporting structures Hl'L and IDR. respectively situated adjacent the left and right hand ends of the principal table support, In, Figure 1. Each stamping head 22 overhangs the table II at the guides 20 so that stamping may be performed at a prescribed location on the hosiery located therein. By reference to Figure 2 it will also be noted that angular positioning is arranged for the heads whereby they will also conform to angular location of impressions to be made on the hosiery.

Three stamping operations suflice for the usual marking on a single piece of hosiery, impressed on the toe, heel, and on the sole centrally therebetween, and an operator may progressively place hosiery in the guides at the front of the table whereupon, during machine operation, stamping will be completed when the table has turned 180 past the right hand set of three stamping heads. At the same time an operator at the rear of the table may remove the stamped hosiery as it is completed and replace it with unstamped pieces which will, in turn, be stamped during the following 180 of table travel by the left hand set of three stamping heads, to be removed from the table by the first operator.

Referring now to Figure 3, the stamping heads 22 are each adjustably fixed to the top of an auxiliary table support l-OL and IOR, being secured in position by hexagon head cap screws 25 which fasten the main stamping head support bracket 26 to cross-members 21 directly therebeneath bridging between a pair of hollow tubes 28 slidable on support rods 29. hate in inverted U-shape brackets 30 fastened to the tops of the auxiliary-tables and are secured thereto by cap screws 3|. Adjustment of the position of the heads 22 with respect to the auxiliary tables IBL and WE and with respect to the main rotary table I0 is provided for by means of the adjusting screw 32, Figure 5, suitably interconnected between one of the brackets 30 and the stamping head support bracket 26. The particular angular setting for the heads 22 and the direction of their adjustment is arranged so that the stamped impression will conform to the hosiery being stamped, the two outside heads in each group of three being movable in a direction along their longitudinal center lines and the inside heads being movable transversely thereto.

Rods 23 termi-' A pair of spaced horizontal angle iron side frames 35, Figures 3, 4, and 5, located above bracket 26, form a support for a group of operating facilities which cooperate to perform the stamping operation on the hosiery. Side frames 35 are rigidly attached to a square tie bar 36 therebelow which, in turn, has its cylindrical ends pivotally trunnioned in a pair of bearing brackets 31 secured to the sides of the main stamping head supporting bracket 25, thus permitting the stamping head to be tilted with respect to its support.

Above the framework is a supply reel 40 for a 'web of transfer stamping material 45 to be fed-in for stamping and a rewind reel 4| for used material which is wound thereon after impression has taken place, reels M and 4| being removably mounted in vertical supports 42 and 43 respectively fixed on frames 35. Feeding in from the supply reel 45, the web of stamping material 45 first passes under a guide roller 46 thence horizontally between a smooth surfaced stationary guide anvil 41 and a limit switch I30 and then over a second guide roller 48. From guide roller 48 the web travels downwardly and traverses a pair of spaced rolls 45, 49 trunnioned in the lower portion of the depending stamping foot 50.

A small electric motor 52, provided with controls to be later described, mounted above the angle frames 35 intermediate of the supply reel 43 and the rewind reel 4|, moves the web 45 intermittently to register the printed transfer impression on the web surface through the medium of a web driving roller 55 trunnioned in the depending ends of the posts 43. Roller 55 is interconnected with motor 52 through belt 55 and suitable driving pulleys 51, 51'. Wrap of the web about the driving roller 55 is enhanced by training it over the fixed position idler roller 58 trunnioned in side frames 35, and tension for the web is provide for by continuing its path of travel under the movably centered roller 59 trunnioned in slots 55. A slip drive belt 6| interconnects the driving roller 55 with pulley 62 secured to the rewind reel 4| tending to move the web at greater surface speed than the driving roller 55, maintaining a taut rewind web therebetween irrespective of the diameter of the roll of material which has accumulated on the reel.

Now considering the stamping devices, a series of four threaded posts 65, Figure 4, fastened to frames 35 by means of opposed pairs of lock nuts 65 and terminating in the stamping foot 50, form a carrier or guide in which an electrically heated stamping iron 61 may travel toward and away from web 45. When the heated iron 5'! is in contact with the web, as shown, tlfe transfer printing takes place on an article of hosiery in guides 20, and when moved upwardly the web may be indexed to the next consecutive stamping position, as will be later described. The incoming web, bridging guide rollers 49, 49', is taut, being so restrained by suitable friction braking means (not shown) applied at the hub of the supply reel.

In order to guide the movement of iron 61, I fasten it securely to a rectangular plate 68 which is clamped at its four corners between guide collars 69 and hexagon nuts 10 secured thereto. Guide collars 69, in turn slide freely on the four posts 65. Normally, the iron is restrained downwardly against web 45 by its, own weight supplemented by the additional weight .of element It thereabove, which is likewise guided on posts 65. These movable members, slidable with re- 5. spect to posts 05, including the iron 61, plate 08 and weight II -may be lifted bythe flexible cables 12 fastened at the-sides of plate 08 by hooks J3 and trainedover pulleys I4, 4 thence directed downwardly therefrom and, adjustably-Iattached to the protrudingend 75 of bracket:i26;.by the hookconnection-10. Thus, whenthe side-frames 35 are tilted counterclockwise asshowninFigure 4a, the movable members aforementioned will be raised permittingthe spring latch .71. on arm.

I8 pivoted'tosuppor t 43to engagethe recess in the ratchet -l9- which-revolves with one of the. pulleys 14. During themachine cycle. andnas the side frames 35 are tilted clock-wise-to be positioned for stamping as willbe hereinafter described; latch arm=18-will belifted when-the head. attains a horizontal-position aslatchedjusting screw-80 fastened thereto strikes-the abutment member 8I- on bracket :26 and thelatch will thus be disengaged from the-ratchet .wheel 19 to permit iron 61 and its associated parts to drop, arching web 45 and pressing the heat fusible printing thereon against a piece of hosiery in guides 20.

Referring back to Figure 1 for a'descriptionof the main driving elements of myamachine, an electric motor 85 mounted on-sub-frame I6 is connected through a suitable gearcreduction unit 85 and belt driving connections 81 to a vertical shaft 88 trunnioned in bearings :89 -and-90. Intermittent rotation is required to-give a period of time when the table is stationary during which stamping may take placeand to index-the table to stamping positions. This motionds transmitted to table II- by I the intermittent drive mechanism 9i located-at the upper end of shaft 88. This drive will be more fully-understood-byreference to Figure 6, wherein a pair of horizontal arms 92 and 93 are shown fixed to shaft 88 and continuously rotatingtherewith. The upperarm 92 for driving the table is arranged to engage oneof a series of rollers 95 suitably fixed to thetable II by locking stud 9-0 during each revolution of shaft 88, and to turn theta-ble counterclockwise through an angular displacement a, Figure 2, equivalent to thespacing be tween sets of hosiery guides 20. As the table approaches the end of its arc of travel the lower cylindrical portion of locking stud 96 will be engaged by the lockinggrooveQ'I on the lever 98. Lever 98' is provided with apivoted-connection' to a small-bracket 99 fastened to a larger bracket arm- I00 projecting from the side of frame-I0, and tension spring 98 fastened between lever'f9 8' and arm I00 retains lever 98 clockwise withthe abutment button IE2 acting as a stop againststa tionary surface I03 on arm I00. During the balance of a'revolution of'shaft 08 table II is at rest and stamping takes place. Upon the completion of a stamping operation the roller I05 on horizontally rotating arm. 93 will engage the inclined surface I06 on lever- 98 tilting the lever counter-clockwise and permitting the stud 96 tobe disengaged fromgroove 91 untilthe horizontal driving arm 92 engages and moves the next succeeding roller 9 5 to index thetable to the succeeding stamping position.

After the stamping operation, but before the table has indexed, provision is made to initiate the tilting of the stamping heads 22 from the continuously rotating shaft 88, Figure 1. Chain drive IIO from shaft 88 continuously rotates a second vertical shaft III trunnioned in bearings H2 and H3 on auxiliary table I0R which, in turn, actuates conversion mechanism II4 providing' oscillating motion to. the elongated head tilting shaft I I 5-trunnioned inleft and right hand auxiliary tables -I0L and IGR. The oscillatory motion of shaft I I5, in turn, tilts all of the stamping heads 22 away from table I0 by interconnection therewiththrough. axiallyfixed pulleys IIfi, flexible driving cables H1, and suitable countershaf ting M8; .the vertically disposed flexible driving cables being directly attached .to. extension levers I20 fastened toside frames 35 on heads 22'. The reverse-operation of dropping the heads to-the table for subsequent stamping, takes place afterthe table I0 has been. indexed to the next stamping position.

Conversion mechanism. H4, seeFigure 7, for changing from rotary motion of shaft I II. to oscillatory motion .of thelong shaft II5 includes a rotating arm 422 pinned to the upper end. of shaft 1 I I to which is pivotally joined a gyrating lever--i23. I Roller I24 fixed at the end of lever I23- is arranged to ride freely .in an angular slot I25 formedunder the fixedv surface of table I0R by a pair-of spacedangle. pieces I26. As rotating ar m -I.22-turns,.thusgyrating the lever I23, the roller and slot connection described will confine the end of the lever to. motion parallel to the slot. Connection is made fromstud I28 depende ingfrom the endof lever I23 to shaft I I5 through theflexiblecablel I I. which fastens to the axially fixedpulley M6 to oscillate shaft H5 in one direction-and to tilt the heads 22 to the position of Figure ea. When oscillation is in the reverse direction the. weight of the head overhanging its pivotal connection will overcome slack in cable I I I- and return it to a horizontal position. Timing of the-oscillating elements provides that for thepart of. the machine cycle during which the work table is stationary the heads .22 will tilt to horizontal position for the stamping operation and willbe moved away to return to the position of Figure. 4a. Overlap of the table indexing and head tilting functions will occur, but no mechanical interference takes place by reason of the fact that the stamping heads are not in contact with the table during indexing thereof.

Controlof the. movement of web 55 .will best be understood by reference to Figure 8 which shows the web .45 trained from supply roll 48 under roller 45 to the bight of anvil i? and normallyclosedlimit switch I30, thence down under the stamping iron 67 and driven by motor 52 through belt 56, pulleys 51 and 5?, drive shaft I31, and web drive roller 55. The electrical diagram is confined to a showing of switching and circuits for one motor only, but it will be readily understood that additional switching and wiring maybe adapted for the motors on each stampinghead. V

Switch; I32 at the left is closed momentarily by a suitable cam (not shown) fixed to a moving part v of the machine immediately when the stamping heads 22 start 'to tilt away from the table- Qlosing the circuit at switch I32 will cutin the timer I33 which is'adjusted to supply current to motor 52 for a prescribed interval of time to 'advance thefweb alinear distance slightly short of the repetitive spacing between raised printing transfer impressions 45a on the web, shown enlarged within the circle for illustrative purposes only. At the same time current from timer I33 will energize relay coils I34, I34 to close the circuit through a pair of normally open contacts I34a, I34a'. In this manner a holding circuit is created to continue the supply of current to the motor independently of the supply through timer I33, contacts I34a closing a circuit through the limit switch I30 to coils I34, and contacts I34a' closing a circuit to one side of motor 52 outside of timer I33.

The normally closed limit switch I30, Figures 3 and 4, is adjustably positioned on bracket I35 so that it may be moved longitudinally of the web. Hence, it may be set so that, when a raised transfer impression 45a is directly under'stamping iron 61, a corresponding impression will be located between the roller I36 on switch I30 and, anvil -41, to raise the switch roller and break the circuit to the holding coils I34, I34 to open the contacts I34a and I34a'. Thus, timer I33 will supply the motor circuit for the major portion of the time necessary for indexing of the web and, after the timer has cut-out, the motor will continue to operate until the control circuit through switch I30 has also been broken, at which time a raised impression 45a will be in registration under iron 61 on the stamping head. The web will thus be moved without interruption irrespective of the length or configuration of the impression 45a or of any raised particles of foreign material in the web which might otherwise tend to trip switch I30 during the con-. trol by the timer. Dual control in this manner is particularly desirable by reason of the fact that for some styles of transfer stamping impressions, limit switch I30 may open and close several times during the initial movement Of the web, depending upon the number of lines of printing and depending upon the shape and arrangement of the characters or designs, and, irrespective of these peculiarities, a continuous initial current supply is fed to the motor. Furthermore, since the designs differ from one another, it is possible with my machine to trip the motors for each head independently of each other and to register the designs accurately irrespective of differences in the repetitive spacing or pitch distance between the designs on the various webs used. If further protection against tripping of the web is necessary, it is possible to use a pair of limit switches I30, I30 as shown in Figure 8A connected in parallel and located over an extended anvil 41a registered with repetitive raised impressions 45a to hold the motor operative until both switch circuits are opened by the web, avoiding the possibility of a web stop due to flaws or foreign particles on the web.

During the period that the motor circuit is energized, the solenoid actuated locking means I40 will likewise be energized and pin I4I will be held away from ratchet I42 against the pressure of spring I43. When the motor circuit is opened pin I4I will descend and engage one of the depressions between the teeth of ratchet I42 and will prevent any overrun due to the inertia of parts, ensuring perfection of register of the transfer stamping material under iron 61.

Although I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention only, it will be readily understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the size and shape and arrange- 6 ment of parts without departing from the invention as particularly pointed out in the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. Web control apparatus for a transfer stamping machine, wherein the web includes raised, spaced, heat fusible impressions, comprising, in combination, stamping means to transfer the impressions from the web to workpieces, intermittent actuating means for said transfer means, a web supply reel, a web rewind reel, electric motor operated roller means intermediate of the web supply reel and web rewind reel to driv the web from the supply reel past the stamping means and to the rewind reel, first switching means controlled by said actuating means to initiate operation of said motor operated roller drive, a timer in the motor circuit to hold the current supply to the motor for a prescribed time period, and third switching means controlled by a raised impression on the web to disconnect the current supply from the motor operated roller drive.

2. Web control apparatus for a transfer stamping machine, wherein the web includes raised, spaced, heat fusible impressions, comprising, in combination, stamping means to transfer the impressions from the web to workpieces, intermittent actuating means for said transfer means, a web supply reel, a web rewind reel, electric motor operated roller means intermediate of the web supply reel and web rewind reel to drive the web from the supply reel past the stamping means and to the rewind reel, first switching means controlled by said actuating means to initiate operation of said motor operated roller drive, a timer in the motor circuit to hold the current supply to the motor for a prescribed time period, and third switching means controlled by a plurality of raised impressions on the web to disconnect the current supply from the motor operated roller drive.

3. Web control apparatus for a transfer stamping machine, wherein the web used includes raised, repetitive, heat fusible impressions, comprising, in combination, stamping means to transfer the impressions from the web to workpieces, intermittent actuating means for said transfer means, a web supply reel, a web rewind reel, electric motor operated roller means intermediate of the web supply reel and rewind reel to drive the web from the supply reel past the stamping means and to the rewind reel, first switching means controlled by said actuating means to initiate operation of said motor operated roller drive, a timer in the motor circuit to hold the current supply to the motor for a prescribed time period, and third switching means controlled by two consecutive raised impressions on the web to disconnect the clurrent supply from the motor operated roller rive.

CHARLES B. GALLAGHER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

' UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,647,646 May Nov. 1, 1927 1,955,798 Fassman Apr. 24, 1934 2,286,458 Bowman et al June 16, 1942 

